The government has stressed that music royalties in public spaces and campuses will not burden academics, the public, or businesses.
Moreover, officials confirmed that the policy will not affect the prices of goods and services.
Indonesia’s Minister of Law, Supratman Andi Agtas, delivered the statement during the What’s Up Kemenkum – Campus Calls Out event.
The session carried the theme “Royalti Musik di Ruang Publik: Di Mana Batas Keadilan?” and took place at Universitas Indonesia.
He assured the public that song users should not worry about royalty payments in public spaces.
According to him, the policy will not influence the price of coffee, food, or other services.
He also stated that claims about royalty payments reaching billions of rupiah were misleading and inaccurate.
In addition, he explained that educational use remains exempt from royalties, as clearly regulated under Law No. 28 of 2014 regarding Copyright.
Furthermore, Supratman noted that digital subscription or ad-based platforms already manage individual music use automatically.
Meanwhile, concert royalties follow a clear mechanism through ticket sales.
Therefore, he emphasized that no double charging occurs.
The government only regulates commercial use in public spaces so that creators receive their economic rights fairly.
During the same forum, Supratman Andi Agtas also spoke about the broader global agenda.
In his remarks, he turned the focus to the international stage.
He then called on all stakeholders to support Indonesia’s proposal at the World Intellectual Property Organization.
The proposal, he stressed, centers on the future of global digital royalty governance.
He argued that Indonesia’s large market and strong contribution to digital platforms justify equal royalty treatment for Indonesian musicians worldwide.
Consequently, the government continues to push for international approval of the proposal to achieve fair digital royalties.
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Support for New Direction of Music Royalties
Support for this policy direction also came from musician Ariel NOAH.
He believes royalty disputes often arise because many people still lack a full understanding of copyright.
He suggested that the key lies in comprehensive copyright literacy.
According to him, debates about performing rights persist because not everyone understands what qualifies as commercial use.
Because of this, he believes the industry must first settle a key issue.
The question of who is responsible for paying royalties, he said, needs clear resolution.
Only after that can the conversation move forward.
From there, the focus should shift toward ensuring that local musicians receive royalties comparable to those earned in neighboring countries.
He also stressed that regulation should provide certainty without stifling creativity.
In his view, technology, including AI, should support the creative process.
Since its use cannot be stopped, he urged policymakers to regulate it promptly.
In line with this perspective, Marcel Siahaan, Commissioner of the Lembaga Manajemen Kolektif Nasional, highlighted an important distinction.
He stressed that royalty fairness cannot be viewed from a single angle.
Instead, it must clearly separate the principle of inclusivity from the management of economic rights.
He explained that royalties should remain inclusive, yet distribution must reflect actual music usage.
Songs played more frequently, he added, should receive higher compensation than those rarely used.
Marcel also shared an update on the ongoing efforts behind the scenes.
He explained that LMKN, together with the Direktorat Jenderal Kekayaan Intelektual (DJKI), continues to refine its governance system.
One of the key steps includes developing the Sistem Informasi Lagu dan Musik (SILM).
At the same time, they are strengthening the Pusat Data Lagu dan Musik (PDLM) to support better data management and transparency.
These steps aim to make royalty collection and distribution more transparent and accountable.
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Proposal from Ministry of Law
Therefore, the Ministry of Law, through DJKI, has proposed a bundled tariff scheme to enrich PDLM data through copyright registration.
The agency introduced a tiered (layering) fee structure for collective registration, starting at Rp200,000 for 1–100 songs.
Officials expect this scheme to boost copyright registrations while expanding the national music database.
Through the forum, the government delivered a clear message.
The event itself drew around 5,000 participants, reflecting strong public interest.
In that setting, officials reaffirmed their commitment.
They aim to build a national music ecosystem that is fair, transparent, and sustainable.
At the same time, it aims to protect copyright, provide certainty for music users, and strengthen the global position of Indonesian musicians.
